Murray has worked meticulously since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration to reshape federal bench in WA with qualified nominees who reflect the diversity of WA and our nation
Washington, D.C. – Having secured the confirmation of Tiffany Cartwright and Kymberly Evanson to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington this week, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), who leads the federal judicial selection process for Washington state, has now filled every single vacancy in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration. In the last two years, Murray has secured the votes to confirm seven brand-new judges who reflect the diversity of communities in Washington state and the nation, completely reshaping the seven-judge federal bench in Western Washington. Every single nominee President Biden picked for the Western District of Washington came at Senator Murray’s recommendation, after they were vetted by a nonpartisan Judicial Merit Selection Committee Murray established. Murray’s selection process has been recognized by the House Judiciary Committee and national advocates as a nationwide model.
“Since President Biden took office, Senate Democrats made clear that we would work to confirm as many highly qualified judges as quickly as possible—but we also set out with a mission to reshape the federal judiciary to reflect the diversity of this great nation and to also bring critical legal perspectives that had been missing,” said Senator Murray. “I am so proud to have recommended and confirmed seven new federal judges to lifetime appointments in the Western District of Washington, all of whom are exceptionally qualified and bring a deeply important perspective to the federal bench.”
“I look for judicial candidates who will make sure every person that walks into their courtroom feels heard and that every person who walks out believes equal justice under the law is real in America,” continued Senator Murray. “People in Washington state deserve to know that the federal courts—an absolutely vital part of our democracy’s checks and balances—work for everyone, not just the powerful and well-connected; if we want to make that a reality then we need to appoint judges who will serve with integrity and independence, and who reflect the communities they serve.”
“Senator Murray has truly been a model senator when it comes to judicial nominations,” said Rakim H.D. Brooks, president of Alliance for Justice. “Not only did she prioritize filling all of the vacancies in Washington state, but she also fought to ensure those seats were filled with outstanding nominees who bring vital professional and demographic diversity to the bench. With time running out to fill every vacancy, we will continue the work with every office across the country to find similar high-caliber nominees with a clear commitment to equal justice. We thank Senator Murray for being a marvelous example to us, to her colleagues, and to the nation for what can be achieved when judicial nominations are a top priority.”
“Senator Murray understands that for our federal judiciary to work for all of us and not just the wealthy and powerful, our judges must be highly qualified, fair-minded, and possess a deep commitment to our civil and human rights. Thanks to the senator’s focus and hard work, in just a few years the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington is now fully staffed with judges who represent critical communities who for far too long have been historically excluded from judicial service and who bring vital and underrepresented legal experience to the bench,” said Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “The latest confirmation of Tiffany Cartwright, a brilliant civil rights lawyer, is cause for celebration as she is the seventh and final judge to be confirmed to the Western District. Ms. Cartwright joins other incredible former civil rights lawyers such as David Estudillo, Tana Lin, and Jamal Whitehead. She will be joining the first Asian American and Native American federal judges to be confirmed to serve in the state, the first Biden administration nominee to have a known disability, and other judges from more of our communities. Judges with diverse backgrounds—both professionally and personally—improve judicial decision-making and build trust in our justice system.”
Senator Murray has been a strong advocate for the confirmation of highly qualified judicial nominees who reflect the diversity of communities in Washington state and America, pushing for greater professional diversity on the federal bench in particular. She has successfully secured the confirmations of:
- Lauren King, a Tribal law expert who is Washington state’s first-ever Native American federal judge and the fourth Native American federal judge in the nation.
- Confirmed on October 5, 2021
- David Estudillo, a former immigration attorney and Grant County Superior Court Judge who is the son of Mexican immigrant farmworkers.
- Confirmed on September 14, 2021
- Tana Lin, a civil rights attorney and the first former public defender and first Asian American to serve as a federal judge in Washington state.
- Confirmed on October 21, 2021
- John Chun, previously a judge on the Washington State Court of Appeals, who the son of South Korean immigrants and the first Asian American man to serve as a federal judge in Washington state.
- Confirmed on March 23, 2022
- Jamal Whitehead, who has extensive experience representing individuals facing workplace discrimination and other unlawful employment practices and was the first disabled Biden Administration nominee confirmed to the federal bench.
- Confirmed on February 28, 2023
- Kymberly Evanson, who represented the ACLU arguing against the Trump Travel Ban and has done significant pro bono work focused on clemency cases.
- Confirmed on July 11, 2023
- Tiffany Cartwright, a longtime career civil rights lawyer and one of the youngest federal judges in the country.
- Confirmed on July 12, 2023
Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, Senator Murray has secured the votes to confirm nine federal judges from Washington state to a lifetime appointment in total. In addition to the seven aforementioned justices from the Western District of Washington, Murray also secured the confirmation of Kit Dimke, who is serving in the Eastern District of Washington, and the lifetime appointment of Salvador Mendoza Jr. to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals—Judge Mendoza is the son of Mexican immigrants who worked as farm laborers, maids, and factory workers, and as a child, he worked as a farmworker himself. He is the first Latino from Washington state to serve on the Ninth Circuit Bench.
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